The new destination

Ashina sprang up in terror, her body instantly transforming as a growl of rage and fear escaped her lips. Initially, she thought she was still within the familiar boundaries of her pack's territory, but as she sniffed the air, she realized with a jolt of panic that she was far from home. Her howls of anger and desperation echoed through the silence but received no response, only the haunting reverberations of her voice. Enraged and disoriented, she sprinted aimlessly, fueled by her wolf's fury and her sense of betrayal. Gonzalo's deception burned within her like wildfire - he had pushed her into the unknown without following, leaving her alone and vulnerable.

    After running to nowhere in particular she became exhausted and weak. So she collapsed to the ground, her body trembling with weak moans. She fell unconscious.

     When she finally awoke, she found herself in human form, surrounded by the threatening silence of the woods. Tears streamed down her face as she remembered her predicament. She felt a crushing weight of sorrow and weakness. Her body ached, her mind wobbled, and her heart felt shattered into a million pieces. She stumbled to her feet, her fingers trembling as she gazed at the remaining two magical rings, a bitter reminder of her lost love and her current misery. With a heavy heart, she decided to find solace and guidance in a world that seemed to have abandoned her.

     Weakly she spoke the strange language and pulled out one of the rings. Then threw it up in the air but the ring fell without anything happening. Weakly she picked it up and tried again, and again and again yet again with the second ring but the partway didn't open up. In frustration, she screamed with a high-pitched voice. Then she started feeling some discomfort in her protruding belly.

     “No no no! Gonzalo, what have you done? Why did you leave me all alone in the middle of nowhere?  Why, why, why…?  She cried bitterly. 

     Seeing that she could not go back, she decided to walk around. She guessed that maybe she might see a pack or someone who might give her directions to where werewolves lived. Then the discomfort in her belly started again. She wanted to shift so she could easily heal from whatever that was causing the pain. Or at least would be able to bear the pain but couldn't shift. 

     “Meeka, I need you to take over”

     She called on her wolf but there was no response from her. 

     “Meeka, wake up and help me, why are you quiet? Please I need your strength”. She begged her wolf but she didn't respond. 

    As the pain in her belly intensified, she felt overwhelmed and uncertain about what to do next. Every step felt like a battle, her legs trembling beneath her as she struggled to walk away from the danger lurking in the shadows. Just then, a gunshot rang out from her left side, sending a chill down her spine and shattering the silence of the forest. Fear gripped her heart, and she swiftly turned in the opposite direction, her eyes scanning the horizon for a glimmer of hope.

    With each gunshot, her sense of urgency grew, and she pleaded with her wolf to awaken, praying to the Moon Goddess to protect her and her unborn pups from the unknown threat. The pain in her protruding belly was relentless, making every step an agony, but she dared not pause, driven by the desperation to escape and ensure the safety of her unborn pups. As dusk fell, the darkness seemed to close in faster, and her strength began to weaken, her breath coming in short gasps.

    Yet, she pushed on, fueled by her maternal instincts and the determination to survive. After what felt like an eternity, she heard a distant sound - a vehicle horn, growing louder from her right side. Her heart skipped a beat as she wondered if this could be her salvation or if another trap waiting to pop up.

      So she turned right and continued. The pain continued but then she felt some wetness in between her legs. She paused and checked, and realized that she was bleeding. She saw blood dripping down her legs. Her anxiety grew enormous as she wept bitterly. 

    “Oh no, moon goddess,  please not my pups, I beg of you. Don't do this to me. Please keep them alive. If you need sacrifice, take my life instead”. 

     As she trudged through the darkness, her legs aching and her belly throbbing with pain. Then she started catching glimpses of light from passing vehicles, a beacon of hope that she was heading towards safety. The lights grew brighter, and she realized she was approaching a road, her heart racing with anticipation. She stumbled forward. Her vision started clouding, but she refused to give up, driven by the determination to protect her unborn pups. But just as she reached the roadside, her legs gave way, and she felt herself falling into darkness, unable to cry out for help. She lost consciousness

    Meanwhile, Conri found himself in human form on a roadside flanked by bushes. His mind reeling from the events that had unfolded. Fear and anger coursed through his veins as he recalled his father's actions. In anger he shifted and took off into the forest, his paws pounding the earth. He gave out a mighty howl as if to release the pent-up emotions. He ran deeper into the forest, his paws aching, his heart heavy, until he finally stopped, exhausted. But his reprieve was short-lived, as a gunshot whizzed past his ear, sending him running back towards the road in terror.

    The shooter seemed to give chase, as another shot sounded, but Conri's fear fueled his speed, and he outran his pursuer. Breathless and shaken, he emerged back onto the road, only to witness a car out of control as it collided with a tree. The sound of shattering glass and crunching metal filled the air, and Conri's heart raced with a new sense of urgency. He approached the wreckage cautiously, his senses on high alert, as he spotted a figure slumped over the steering wheel.

     In an instant, Conri shifted into human form, his chest heaving rapidly as he struggled to catch his breath after the intense run. He approached the wreckage cautiously, his eyes fixed on the vehicle, but the driver didn't emerge. With a sense of trepidation, he moved closer to investigate and found a man and woman slumped inside, their bodies battered and bruised. Though they were still breathing, their injuries were severe, and Conri knew he had to act fast.

    With a surge of adrenaline, he carefully extracted them from the wreckage, one by one, his hands and clothes becoming stained with their blood. He worked swiftly, his mind racing with the gravity of the situation, as he tried to stem the flow of blood and keep them stable until help arrived.

    His wolf,  Zeeb, was still afraid of what happened in the bush. So he told him to stay away from humans but Conri refused. 

    “Zeeb, I know it's dangerous but I think 

 outside the forest seems safer for now. Besides, we need to find out where our kind are living and we could only achieve that if we try to mingle with people”

    “Alright, I understand but. be careful”. Zeeb advised Conri and relaxed while Conri decided to stay around the wounded people.

      After a few minutes, the ambulance arrived, and the paramedics quickly loaded the injured couple inside. As they sped towards the hospital, the doctor on board began a more thorough examination. He was perplexed to find that while the others had severe injuries, Conri didn't have a single scratch, though he had an elevated blood pressure reading. The doctor's curiosity was piqued, and he attempted to engage Conri in conversation. 

    "You're incredibly fortunate, not a single scratch on you. What's your name, son?" he asked, his tone friendly and inquiring.

    Conri hesitated, initially willing to respond, but then his mind raced with the realization that he was in an unfamiliar world. He quickly decided discretion was the best course and feigned amnesia.

    "I...I don't remember," he stammered, hoping to deflect further questions. The doctor nearly exclaimed his surprise. 

    "Oh my goodness, your case is extremely complex," the doctor exclaimed, his brow furrowed with concern. "You can't recall your name?" he asked again, his tone laced with empathy. Conri nodded solemnly, his expression mirroring the doctor's seriousness, as the ambulance pulled into the hospital's entrance.

     As the doors swung open, Conri hesitated, torn between fleeing the hospital and sticking around. He weighed his options carefully, his mind racing with the potential consequences of each choice. Finally, he decided to remain, hoping to find others like himself, who could understand his predicament and offer guidance.

    Just then, the doctor instructed a nurse to escort Conri for a memory test and x-ray, citing his amnesia as the reason. Without hesitation, Conri followed the nurse, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he had to play along, at least for now, until he could uncover more about this strange new world and find his place within it.